Echo
by Lya Darkfury
Summary: The same year that Harry Potter starts school at Hogwarts a muggleborn is sorted into Slytherin. This story follows the books pretty closely until about the 6th book. Slightly AU. Rating may change later
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, this is my first story and there may be some typos, it is late and I really wanted to get this posted before I went to sleep. Reviews are very much appreciated; I would like to know if I am on the right track. **

**Disclaimer: I do not, sadly, own or make any money off of any of the characters from Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the genius. Any characters that are not from the books belong to me. **

Somehow she had managed to find the only empty compartment on the train. To other students walking past she looked like a regular witch, but Echo felt more out of place than ever. She sat straight and regal and her hands shook. 

She missed her parents already and her only consolation was that at Christmas she would see them and tell them about all the strange, magical things she had seen. 

Echo's parents, Misty and Sam, had never heard of Hogwarts or believed in magic until the letter had arrived followed closely by a man in a large black robe, with red hair, wearing a delighted smile as he stepped out of the fireplace. The hours that had followed still made Echo smile. Her father had never looked so confused nor her mother been so silent while Mr. Weasley explained the situation. Even after the guided trip to Diagon Alley, Echo herself could not quite believe it all. 

Clutching her wand momentarily Echo tried to find courage and, unaware that her self assured posture was a bit intimidating, fervently wished for someone who could answer her endless questions or at least ease her apprehension about the magical world. 

A few minutes later the compartment door slid open and a bushy brown haired girl poked her head in and grinned at Echo. 

"Hey! Are you excited yet?"

Echo recognized the girl from the muggle born guided tour of Diagon Ally and smiled shyly at her. 

"Yeah, I just don't know what to expect." Echo replied. She hoped her visitor would stay but those hopes were dashed with Hermione's next words. 

"Don't worry, none of us do really. I'm going to go change so I'll see you when we get there." 

She left and Echo resumed her silent contemplation.

The train slowed and stopped. It has arrived. Students of all ages poured off. A stream of robed teenagers went past the closed compartment where Echo sat, alone, staring out the window and lost in thought. 

Echo knew she should get off the train. She wasn't even scared really, yet for some reason she couldn't move. And so she sat, while students left the train and disappeared towards the looming building. By the time more than half of the boats and all of the carriages had gone Echo discovered she was unable to move for fear that, if she did, she might wake up and this would all be a dream. She gripped her wand tightly and stood up. The compartment door opened before she reached it, revealing a pale, blond boy only slightly taller than herself. 

Draco Malfoy stopped mid-sneer when he saw the girl who had not yet left the train. She was slim, with dark blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and a posture his mother would have envied. She was gorgeous. 

Draco cleared his throat "Hello, I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." She shook his offered hand and smiled one of her rare, unaffected smiles. 

"Echo Sarassen"

Draco tried to recall if Sarassen had been the family name of any important pureblood families. She certainly carried herself like a pureblood. And her reaction to his family name, the smile of a person to her equal, convinced him she must be. 

"So, what house are you hoping to be in?"

"Oh," Echo paused. She had no idea what he was talking about. "I'm not entirely sure. What about you?"

He didn't answer immediately as they had arrived at the lake and it took a few moments to become situated and for the boat to begin moving. 

"Well, my whole family has been in Slytherin so I expect I should be there too."

"Cool." Echo's hands had started shaking again and she hid them in her robes. 

Draco noticed Echo's shoulders straighten even more, a feat he wouldn't have thought possible. When she slid her hands into her robes realization dawned on him; she was nervous. No one would know it by looking at her, she appeared to be completely self assured. He smiled, impressed by her composure, and decided to try and help her feel more comfortable. 

"What house is your family aligned with?" Draco asked. 

"I-" Echo began to explain that she was the first of her family to go to Hogwarts but was interrupted by another student. 

"Look! It's the squid!" The boy yelled. The rest of the boat ride was spent peering into the depths of the lake, searching for other signs of life. Echo found she couldn't concentrate on this exercise. 

"Draco?" She said hesitatingly. His silver eyes found hers and she knew she had his complete attention. "What do you call the creatures pulling the carriages that the other students took?" 

His brow furrowed slightly. "Those carriages aren't pulled by anything."

"Oh." Now it was Echo's turn to frown. She would have sworn that she saw horse-like creatures pulling one. But maybe not. She shrugged and decided not to mention it again. It would hardly be fitting for her classmates to think she was crazy.

When the boats reached the other shore Draco excused himself and moved away from Echo and the other boy who had shared their boat toward the front of the group of students. Echo could see him talking to one-no two boys. One had dark shaggy hair and the other was a red head. She could see that some sort of a disagreement was going on but she couldn't hear anything. Scanning the crowd of first years Echo spotted Hermione standing near the front. She looked quite confident and prepared for anything the magical world could throw at her. Echo sighed. 

Draco found Echo again when Prof. McGonagall began leading them into the Great Hall. He studied her as they walked and realized that he shouldn't know she was nervous. She didn't appear to be. But he knew she was. 

"Don't worry Echo. This is going to be fun." He patted her shoulder and she smiled weakly at him. The doors to the Great Hall opened, washing the students in golden light. 

A few first years had been sorted and Echo was feeling more and more nervous. She didn't think that any of the houses described her perfectly. The more she waited the more she was convinced the Sorting Hat would send her home. 

"Wish me luck" Draco whispered.

"Why?" Echo looked over at him and his steady gaze melted her nerves. A rock, she thought, he is a rock. 

"My dad will kill me if I'm not in Slytherin." 

Echo chuckled quietly and then stopped when she realized that Draco hadn't really been kidding. "Oh, well, good luck then. I would hate to lose my first friend here."

His name was called so Draco didn't respond. Echo held her breath as Draco walked to the hat. But they needn't have worried; the hat had barely touched his head before it yelled "SLYTHERIN". 

Draco walked past her to the Slytherin table, a triumphant smile on his face. "Now it's your turn. Hope to see you at the Slytherin table."

Echo felt torn. Hermione had been sorted into Gryffindor and Echo had rather liked her. But, Echo liked Draco too. He seemed nice and he had kept her from being too nervous. 

"Echo Sarassen"

The walk to the hat seemed to take hours. Everyone watching her, even the professors, were impressed with the way this first year carried herself. Shoulders back and chin held high, she looked confident as she glided gracefully to the front of the hall. 

The hat fit down over her head and began talking. Echo jumped a bit. 

_Let's see here. A muggleborn, wonderful. You are certainly loyal, smart, courageous, and you even have a ruthless streak in there. Where to put you? Any preferences young lady? _Echo shook her head._ I can see you haven't yet been tainted by school rivalries. That's good. If you had, I am sure you would protest my decision. Regardless of what you may think later and of what your housemates may tell you, the place for you to do the most good is _SLYTHERIN. Slytherin clapped the loudest of all, happy to boast this beautiful and self assured young lady as one of them. Draco scooted over for her and she sat down, earning the glare of a brown haired pug faced girl. The feast began. 

Despite the looks that Echo caught every now and again from students in different houses, she found herself enjoying the conversation around her. Draco talked the most, not only to her but to other students all around. One Slytherin, Marcus, was going on about Quidditch (which Echo had read about) and this led to a heated discussion about "bloody Gryffindors" and much cursing. 

"They're all such gits" Draco muttered. Heads around the table nodded. 

"Well, not _all _of them" Echo said rather quietly. The older boy Marcus looked at her as if she had grown another head. Echo laughed a little but stopped when Marcus frowned. "Okay, so maybe they are almost all awful, but one girl over there seemed nice." Echo pointed to Hermione. 

Everyone's eyes followed her finger and then looked back at her incredulously. Echo gulped. She didn't think they were so serious about their hatred of Gryffindor. 

"It's understandable that you thought she was nice. You must not know what she is." Marcus drawled. 

"What?" Echo felt apprehensive. 

"She's a mudblood." The disdain in his voice made Echo nervous. She didn't dare ask what that was, because clearly she was supposed to know. An uncomfortable silence fell over her and she stopped listening to the people around her talk. She focused on her food and began to surreptitiously watch Hermione to see if she was going to sprout horns.

After being led down numerous passageways and stairs, Echo was finally in the Slytherin common room. Someone, probably Marcus Flint, mentioned that they were under the Black Lake and she cringed. She didn't like the thought of being so far below ground. But the roaring fire and the soft couches helped her forget quickly and soon Draco and a group of his friends were all sitting around relaxing. Echo was introduced to them. The short, brown haired girl who had glared at her over dinner was Pansy and the girl sitting next to her with long black hair was Daphne. They both spent much of the evening trying to get Draco's attention and Echo had the sinking feeling they would resent her for the attention she received from him. Daphne and Pansy were her roommates. 

The other boy in the room was Blaise and he was the polar opposite of Draco. He had dark hair, dark eyes and a tanned complexion yet they oddly complemented each other. Echo found herself with the courage to enter the conversation more and more, if only to draw Draco's gaze to her. Eventually the conversation moved away from Hogwarts and onto family and money. Blaise went first, describing his mum and her last seven husbands and the different ways they died. He finished with the most recent death; an "accidental" fall while climbing on the rocks by their winter villa and Draco looked over to Echo. 

"What about you Echo? Tell us about your parents." It was what Draco had been dying to know all night. If she was the daughter of a prestigious bloodline, then being friends with her might impress his parents. His silver eyes shone at the thought. It didn't hurt that she seemed intelligent and was beautiful. 

"My mom is an artist, a painter actually and my dad is a pilot." She received blank looks. 

"What is a pilot?" Blaise asked. 

"He flies planes." She hoped they would get it then, but no such luck. 

"What's a plane?" Pansy wanted to know.

"You mean you have never flown in a plane?" Echo couldn't believe her ears. 

"Well, we apparate or floo or use brooms." Daphne jumped in. 

"What's a floo?" It was Echo's turn to be confused. 

Silence fell over the group. Echo looked from person to person but none of them would meet her eyes. Draco was shocked past words, they all were. 

"Is your mom a witch or your dad a wizard?" Blaise asked tentatively. He was afraid of the answer. 

"Oh no!" Echo smiled. "We didn't know about any of this until I received my letter this summer." She expected looks of understanding, torrents of information about the wizarding world, or even teasing about her ignorance. She got shock and disgust. 

Blaise wouldn't meet her eyes, neither would Daphne. They seemed to be waiting for Draco or Pansy, the group trend setters, to make the first move. Echo looked to Draco. His molten eyes, once friendly, were hard steel and unreadable. Pansy was an open book; her face was a deep scowl and her eyes were violent. 

Echo felt the urge to disappear into the couch, so naturally she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "What is the problem?" She asked coolly. 

"The problem!" Pansy shrieked. "The problem is that a _mudblood_ was sorted into Slytherin!" 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed and to everyone who will review ;) I hope to update more quickly in the future, school just gets in the way sometimes. So, don't forget to review, you can even point out mistakes or things I could have done better, I promise I don't bite =) **

**Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and its inhabitants belong to the one and only J.K. Rowling. I, of course, own Echo and any other characters you don't recognize. **

**Thank you kxmalfoy for adding this story to favorites/alert and reviewing. Thanks also to Snorkel and xxxxcrazychickxxxx for their reviews and putting it on their alert list. Lastly, thanks to BrokenDestiny and Vartika for adding this to their alerts list. I appreciate it guys! **

_**Recap:**__ Echo felt the urge to disappear into the couch, so naturally she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. _

"_What is the problem?" She asked coolly. _

"_The problem?!" Pansy shrieked. "The problem is that a mudblood was sorted into Slytherin!" _

"No, No!" Blaise stood up, shaking his head. "She can't be a—the Sorting Hat doesn't make mistakes. It wouldn't sort a mudblood into Slytherin." He started pacing.

Draco hadn't moved or said a word. His mind was reeling. It was…unthinkable. Draco hoped what Blaise said was true but his practical side didn't agree. The Sorting Hat was not regulated. If Echo fit the other criteria of Slytherin House, the Hat would put her in regardless of her blood status.

"What, exactly, is a mudblood?" Echo asked.

"SEE!" Pansy shrieked again. "She doesn't even know what it means, she has to be one!"

Daphne sighed. "A mudblood is a term for muggleborns, wizards or witches without any magical inheritance."

Echo slowly nodded her head in understanding. Her mouth set into a firm line.

"Well then I guess I am"

When Draco didn't speak, Blaise decided he would try and fix the situation.

"We can't tell anyone." He stopped pacing. "Imagine the ridicule that would fall on our house if word spread that we had a muggleborn among us." Not to mention the cruelty Echo would experience from her own housemates, but Blaise wasn't going to admit he wanted to help her. Draco nodded. Daphne was relieved. They all looked at Pansy.

"We have to tell someone, maybe this mistake can be fixed. I, for one, refuse to be contaminated by a filthy mudblood!" Pansy stood up abruptly and stomped out of the room.

"I don't see what's so bad about being a muggleborn." Echo said frankly.

Blaise laughed bitterly. Draco didn't smile.

"We are purebloods, it's an important criteria for us." Draco said.

"So, because of my blood, you won't be friends with me?" Echo asked defiantly.

Blaise hesitated and glanced at Draco. Daphne trained her eyes on the floor. None of them were forced to answer because at that moment, Pansy returned with a seventh year prefect in tow.

"This is it, the mudblood." Pansy pointed at Echo.

"Unbelievable. I am going to find Snape. Keep it here." The girl ordered and she hurried out of the room. The commotion had clearly alerted others, many Slytherins were crowding into the common room, some wondering what was going on, and others waiting for the house head to arrive.

"Pansy, was it necessary to involve Snape?" Draco asked, his voice frozen.

"At least I did something, unlike you three, who seem to have no trouble associating with this thing!" Pansy's voice carried across the growing crowd. Silence fell. Accusing a pureblood of being a blood traitor was serious.

"Everyone knows I can't stand mudbloods. They're filthy and should not be allowed in school." Draco spoke evenly, assuring the group of his loyalty. "I just don't think Snape will be happy to be disturbed over this…matter."

Echo observed the crowd coolly, pretending she didn't care. She didn't understand this single minded hatred. It scared her. She hoped Hermione wasn't having this hard of a time. Echo was tired, sad, and angry. The last thing she wanted to do was meet a professor. But, not much later, a gangly man with stringy black hair stepped into the common room.

"This is the girl whose blood you were concerned about?" Snape asked the prefect. She nodded. Snape looked around at the group. "Since you are almost all here, I won't have to say this more than once. I already spoke with Dumbledore about the situation. He insists that the decision made by the Sorting Hat is final. We are stuck with her. I trust you will all welcome her accordingly." He sneered and strode out of the room.

Marcus Flint was the first to speak. "A mudblood in Slytherin. Salazar is rolling over in his grave." He stalked over to Echo, wand in his hand. "I think, in order to properly welcome you, we should ensure that you are as comfortable as possible while you sleep."

"Don't try anything." Echo pulled out her wand.

He laughed. "I doubt you even know how to use that thing. _Petrificus Totalus!_" Her entire body went rigid and rolled off the couch. She tried to move, to kick, to scream but she couldn't. Panic filled her crystal eyes. She had no idea what was happening to her.

"Look at that Flint, she doesn't know a harmless body locker curse when she's hit with one." Draco smirked.

Relief flooded her as his words washed through her mind. _Harmless body locker curse…harmless. _She closed her eyes and her mind to the people and the mocking laughter around her. Echo jerked her eyes open when a sharp pain blossomed in her leg. One by one her fellow housemates were filing out of the room. Some stepped on her as they left. Flint kicked her in the side on his way out. A few of them spat on her. Draco and Daphne ignored her completely. Echo thought she saw an apologetic glance from Blaise, but she couldn't be sure. Pansy and two beefy boys were the only ones left in the room.

"Before you leave Crabbe and Goyle, make sure you say goodbye to the mudblood." Pansy ordered. If she could have, Echo would have cried out.

A split lip and a few bruises later Crabbe and Goyle were gone. Pansy walked up to Echo and bent down.

"Stupid mudblood. If you ever talk to or try to steal my Draco again, I will make you wish you had died tonight." She whispered vehemently. Standing, she pulled her foot back and struck Echo on the temple. Echo's eyes rolled back in her head as she lost consciousness. Satisfied, Pansy pranced to her room.

A figure emerged from the darkness of the room and approached Echo, silver eyes flashing.

Echo awoke early the next morning and groaned. Her entire body ached, her head worst of all. She sat up, apparently the curse had worn off, and looked down in surprise at the blanket covering her body. Folding it up, she grabbed her book bag and a new robe from her dorm. She took the quickest shower of her life, changed, and left before anyone else woke up. She carried the blanket with her and went in search of the hospital wing for a headache cure. It was five am.

Thirty minutes and four flights of stairs later Echo had to admit she was lost. She slumped against the wall and closed her eyes. Her head throbbed painfully. Unwelcome tears clouded her vision.

"Ooh hoo!" A gleeful squeal snapped Echo from her thoughts. A thin ghost floated in the air above her laughing.

"Ickle firstie! Out of her bed! Punishment for the miscreant! Get the thumb tacks!" The ghost exclaimed.

"Excuse me sir" Echo interrupted his stream of shouts. Peeves stopped. He had never been called sir before. He took a moment to actually look down at the tiny blue eyed girl and he softened.

"Sir, do you know where the hospital wing is?" She kept her chin up but it trembled.

"I can do better," The ghost grinned. "I can take you there." And he swept her up into his arms.

"My name is Peeves. What's yours?"

"Echo" She answered with pride.

"And, Miss Echo, what happened to you?" He had not missed the bruises nor the circles under her eyes. She stared at him for a moment before responding.

"I'm a mudblood." She spoke as if daring him to mock her.

"That still doesn't explain the…" He trailed off when he saw the green on her robes. "Ah, Slytherin." Now he understood.

When they arrived at the hospital wing Madame Pomfrey caught sight of them and hustled over.

"Peeves!" She scolded. "What did you do to this poor girl?"

"I did nothing." He cried out. "I brought her to you and now I am in trouble! I just won't bother next time." He placed Echo on the ground and twirled around, preparing to flounce out in mock outrage. Her voice stopped him once again.

"Mr. Peeves?" She said his name so quietly he almost hadn't heard it.

"Yes?" He tried to sound impatient.

"Will I see you around the castle?" Her eyes were wide, hopeful.

"Well," He tried to sound grumpy. "You might." He swooped out and Madame Pomfrey began to fuss over Echo.

An hour and a half later Echo had convinced Madame Pomfrey that she was well enough to leave and she was walking to the Great Hall. She found it easily by following the chatter of students but when she arrived at the entrance, she stopped. Owls were swooping in, delivering packages and letters to many of the students and the sight was amazing. She was happy to see that it was not only surprising to her. The boy who had caused quite a fuss over his name, Harry Potter, seemed to be shocked as well. Echo was glad to see that Hermione had made some friends; hopefully she hadn't received the same treatment. Maybe, she thought, Hermione had kept it a secret.

Draco, Daphne, Blaise, Pansy and many of the other Slytherin house members were still at the breakfast table. Echo decided she would wait until they left to eat. She spent forty-five minutes pacing outside the Great Hall and when Hermione walked out, she pounced on her.

"Hermione are you okay?" Echo pulled Hermione off to the side and whispered her question.

"Of course, I'm going to class. Why?" Hermione was surprised to see Echo's loss of poise.

"You mean," Echo dropped her voice so low Hermione had to lean in to hear, "No one teased you about being a mudblood?"

"No," Hermione stepped back. "Only Slytherins are nasty enough to use that word." She narrowed her eyes, suddenly misinterpreting the conversation. "I would have thought you, even if you are a Slytherin, wouldn't be so cruel. I guess I was wrong." She stuck her nose in the air and flounced away before Echo could say another word. Echo sighed, she would have to explain what she meant to Hermione later, the Slytherin table was nearly empty and she had to eat quickly to make it to class.

Her first class didn't go so badly. None of the Slytherins would sit next to her, they didn't acknowledge her presence for which Echo was grateful. The Hufflepuffs wouldn't sit next to her because she was a Slytherin. So she ended up at a desk alone, which suited her just fine. For lunch, Echo found the library and scanned through a book on advanced transfiguration in search of information about animagi. To Echo, this was one of the most intriguing things about the wizarding world; she wanted to be one. She practically squealed with excitement when she flipped the page and found a section titled "Animagi".

_Animagi_

_Some wizards and witches possess the rare ability to transform themselves into animals. The animal into which a person turns cannot be chosen. A witch or wizard will turn into the animal that best suits his or her personality. There is some speculation that a wand is not needed to make this transformation even the first time it occurs. This has yet to be verified. _

The section continued on for only another half a page but gave no specific instructions on how to actually change. She closed the book, a bit disappointed and looked at her watch. Her heart jolted. She had five minutes until her next class and she didn't know where it was. Grabbing up her books she bolted out of the library.

She tried to find a student or a professor who she could ask, but luck was not with her. Five minutes turned to ten, and ten to fifteen and still Echo wandered the halls. Desperate now to find her class, Echo did the only thing she could think of.

"Peeves!" She yelled. "Peeeeves!"

"I didn't do anyth-Oh, it's you." Peeves appeared in front of her, trying to look menacing.

"I'm terribly sorry to bother you again Mr. Peeves, but I have Transfiguration with Prof. McGonagall and I can't find the classroom." Echo smiled up at the ornery poltergeist.

"Follow me" He said gruffly.

When they arrived at the large wooden classroom door Peeves paused.

"This is it. Tell her you ran into me on your way here, you shouldn't get into any trouble."

Echo shook her head. "I can't blame you after you've helped me."

"Tell her, it will help me. I have a reputation to uphold. I should be making students late, not helping them. Run along little miss." Peeves immediately looked disgusted at himself for calling her 'little miss' and so he swooped down, yelled "Got your conk!" and grabbed her nose before zooming out of the hallway; but he had squeezed her nose very softly.

Peeves had been right; Prof. McGonagall accepted Echo's explanation for her tardiness without so much as blinking and asked her to take a seat. She peered around the classroom in search of an empty desk. Only one seat was empty, a three person table with Draco and Blaise. She hesitated.

From across the room Pansy caught her eye and glared threateningly. That was enough for Echo. She pulled back her shoulders and fearlessly sat down.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well, here it is. Yes, I know, most of you are probably like "Echo? What story?" Sorry for the looong delay. Excuses at the bottom :) **

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter stuff, including Draco Malfoy, does not belong to me. **

Recap:_ From across the room Pansy caught her eye and glared threateningly. That was enough for Echo. She pulled back her shoulders and fearlessly sat down. _

It didn't take long for Prof. McGonagall's lecture to distract Echo from her current seating arrangements. Pansy spent most of the class glaring back

at her and making threatening gestures which strengthened Echo's resolve to avoid her.

Finally Prof. McGonagall handed out matches and told them they were to turn them into needles. Bursting with excitement, Echo sat up a bitstraighter, pulled out her wand, and whispered the incantation with confidence. Before her eyes it changed from a wooden match to a sewing needle- slightly wooden, but still a needle. She gasped. She had been expecting to do it, but hadn't _actually _expected it to work. A voice startled Echo out of her silent amazement.

"You did it." Draco's statement was completely neutral, neither hateful nor surprised.

"Brilliant!" Blaise was genuinely impressed. "Teach me?"

"You'll figure it out." Echo replied coldly. A small part of her had almost jumped on the chance to make friends, but she couldn't easily forget the previous evening. They hadn't noticed Pansy saunter over to their table until she snatched Echo's needle and replaced it with her unchanged match.

"Give that back." Echo snapped. Her tone immediately attracted Prof. McGonagall, who was making her way towards the group.

"If you know what's best for you you'll agree with whatever I tell her." Pansy threatened under her breath.

"Girls, what seems to be the problem?" Prof. McGonagall fixed her stern gaze on them.

"Nothing ma'am, I was just showing them my needle." Pansy spoke up and held out Echo's perfectly transformed needle.

"Well, Ms. Parkinson, tha-"

"That's my needle" Echo interrupted forcefully. Now Prof. McGonagall looked confused.

"Stop joking around _Echo_" Pansy attempted a giggle, it sounded like a dying cat.

"It's my needle Prof. McGonagall." Echo ignored Pansy.

"It's mine!" Pansy scowled.

Prof. McGonagall watched the two girls, one who met and held her gaze calmly with courage, the other who pouted and whined, looking everywhere except at Prof. McGonagall.

"Okay, here are two new matches. Whoever transformed the first one will certainly be able to do it again."

Echo nodded in appreciation of her fairness. She took the match, set it on the desk, whispered the spell and flourished her wand, and was

rewarded by the appearance of a silver, wooden-ish, needle. She put her wand away and quietly waited for Pansy to finish. Her match had yet to change.

"Clearly it was Miss. Sarassen who changed the first match. Miss. Parkinson, I am disappointed in you, come see me tonight after dinner for

detention. Miss. Sarassen, congratulations on earning twenty points for Slytherin. Class dismissed." Prof. McGonagall finished with a small smile. As  
the students filed out, Echo hung back, not wanting another encounter with Pansy.

"I am quite impressed by your transfiguration Miss. Sarassen, did your parents teach you more advanced spells?"

"No ma'am, my parents are both muggles." Surprise flashed across Prof. McGonagall's face.

"Would you be interested in learning more?"

Echo nodded enthusiastically, a smile creeping onto her face.

An hour later Echo left the classroom loaded down with two large tomes. The first book, _A Guide to Practical Magic_, Echo was sure would beimmensely helpful with everyday activities and she couldn't wait to learn it. The second book excited her even more. _Advanced Methods of_ _Transfiguration_ had been particular difficult to obtain from Prof. McGonagall, but Echo had assured her that she only wanted to read the theory and wouldn't actually attempt to perform any of the spells. It happened to contain a large section on Animagi.

She found the Owlery eventually, thanks to Prof. McGonagall's directions, and, sitting on a perch on one of the windows, began to write a letter toher parents.

_Hey Mom and Dad!_

_Hogwarts is wonderful, I turned a match into a needle today on the first try and I won points for my house (which, by the way, is called Slytherin). Don't worry about me, I am making friends and everyone is nice and friendly. The people in paintings here talk and move, it's quite amazing even if it startled me the first time. A strange little knight on a horse in a frame shouted a challenge to me and galloped around, waving his lance. Also, there are ghosts here. They seemed scary, but they are harmless. Mr. Peeves is my favorite, I haven't met any of the others formally, and I heard one of my teachers is going to be a ghost, although that might be a rumor. I will let you know. _

_I don't know what else to tell you, the food here is good, the professors are very interesting so far. But, enough about me, what have you been up to in the last few days? Anything interesting happening in the outside world? We don't receive normal newspapers here, only something called the "Daily Prophet" which is a wizarding newspaper. I can't wait to come home over Christmas Break, as much fun as it is here, I am missing home. Go ahead and write me back, and give it to this owl, it won't leave until you give him a reply (you can feed him too). _

_Love you lots! Hugs and Kisses!_

She signed her name with a flourish at the bottom, tied the letter to the owl's leg and sent him off. Her next letter was shorter and took only a few minutes to write.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I didn't mean to offend you this morning. I wasn't teasing you about being a mudblood, I was just worried that the other students might have. I realize now that it is only a Slytherin thing. You're very lucky to be in Gryffindor. I'm sorry, and I hope you will forgive me._

_Sincerely, _

_Echo_

She read it a few times, decided it sounded a bit pathetic, ripped it up and rewrote:

_Dear Hermione,_

_I wasn't teasing you this morning, I am sorry if that's what you thought. _

_Sincerely,_

_Echo_

Satisfied, she tied it to another owl, gathered up her bag, and skipped down the steps. She had reading to do.

Echo found a dusty, hidden corner in the back of the restricted section of the library and settled herself on the floor under a counter. At first she

sat shivering, and then she remembered the blanket from this morning, pulled it out of her bag and wrapped it around her. She hadn't taken the

time to look at it properly before, but now she did. It was big, fluffy, and black and it wrapped around her shoulders and all the way around her

legs. Its smell reminded her of the sky after a rain. Breathing the scent in deeply, she relaxed and opened a book, she felt protected and safe for

the first time since her arrival.

She glanced through the practical magic book and wrote a few helpful spells down on her hand. The shrinking spell seemed the most useful; it would allow her to carry all of her belongings with her, meaning she never needed to use her dorm room for anything but sleeping. She skimmed transfiguration book, but most of it was above her level of comprehension. Still, she tried. When she finished, she whispered the words that were supposed to help make the change, but wasn't too surprised when nothing happened. She said it one more time, and then gave up. Her stomach rumbled and she sighed, she wasn't looking forward to eating at the Slytherin table. She shrank her blanket and books and walked cautiously out of the library, in the direction that she hoped would take her to the Great Hall.

Naturally, she thought miserably forty five minutes later, she wouldn't be able to find her way. It had become clear to Echo that her sense of

direction was pathetic. She snorted at herself in disgust. Walking faster now, she turned left, then right and slammed into someone and was

knocked back onto her bottom.

"I'm sorry" She said quickly from the floor and glanced up. It was Draco.

"Not a problem." He offered his hand to help her, but she ignored it and stood up on her own. She met his eyes, waiting for him to say something

or hex her. He did neither and for a split second Echo thought she saw…confusion? Concern? As suddenly as it had appeared, his face smoothed,

his eyes froze over, looking at something behind her, and his back stiffened considerably. She was about to ask what was wrong.

"Drakie!" The excited squeal answered her question. Pansy. Echo turned around to watch her approach and Pansy noticed her.

"I was hoping I would find you. I just finished with the detention that should have been yours you stupid bint! _Expelliarmus!_"

Echo was thrown backwards, her wand tried to jump out of her hand, and she decided in midair that she should really have been expecting that.

Instead of landing hard, as she had read would happen when one is attacked by this spell, she fell softly against Draco. Clearly the spell had been

weak. But that still didn't explain why his hands were holding her up.

"Hold her still Drakie, she deserves more than she got last night!" Pansy ordered, her eyes were filled with rage.

"Keep this mudblood filth away from me." Draco said with disgust and pushed Echo forcefully away from him. She didn't need any other encouragement. Using the extra momentum, she launched down the hallway and ran, leaving a cursing Pansy behind her.

Panting heavily, Echo sat down against a wall between a large fruit portrait and a suit of armor. Echo was not the kind of girl who needed friends

in particular to be happy. She was an only child who knew how to have fun alone. Nor was she one to wallow in self pity. But just now, with an

entire group of students on the lookout to hurt her, an empty stomach, and homesickness, Echo felt very much like wallowing. She cried softly, replaying all of the things that had happened to her in the last day. She thought of her parents, and of how much she missed home and was just about to burst in an all out sob when the fruit portrait slammed open and banged into her. She scooted away and watched as two students with bright red hair stumbled out, laden with platters of food. The air filled with incredible smells and her mouth watered. She wiped her tears away hastily.

"Ah, sorry about that." One said. "We really-

"-didn't see you there." Finished the other.

"That's okay, I shouldn't have been sitting there." Echo stood up and held out her hand. "I'm Echo. You two must be the Weasley twins." Mr. Weasley had spoken frequently of his children, including his trouble making twins. How many sets of red headed twins could there be at Hogwarts?

"I'm Fred" He nodded.

"And I'm George"

"Are you a first year?" Fred asked.

Echo nodded and her stomach rumbled loudly. "Sorry." She blushed. "I didn't make it to dinner."

"We don't mind at all do we George?"

"Not at all. In fact-"

"-we can help you with that. Come here" Fred walked to the now closed fruit portrait. "Tickle that pear."

Echo raised an eyebrow and looked at them in disbelief. They began to laugh.

"I see that our-"

"-reputation precedes us, don't worry-"

"-it's not a trick."

She edged forward, tickled the pear, and was instantly ushered into the heaven on earth of mouth watering delights.

One hour, ten pancakes, half an angel food cake, three steaks, and numerous goblets of pumpkin juice later, Echo, Fred and George left the kitchens, stuffed and laughing.

Fred and George had opened up considerably after realizing she was muggleborn. She didn't share the troubles she was having with her

housemates but they had spent a considerable amount of their time answering her questions about the wizarding

world. She asked for their help finding the Slytherin Common Room and Fred pulled out a map,

consulted it, whispered something, pocketed it, and led the way.

They strolled farther and farther into the bowels of the castle. Their jokes helped ease her apprehension about returning to her dorm and its inhabitants, but every step closer increased her unease.

"That should be the entrance right there." Fred said, stopping and pointing to a blank section of dungeon wall.

"Yeah, that looks like it." She straightened herself and turned to smile at them. "Thanks, I get lost way too easily. I'll see you guys later."

When they disappeared from sight, Echo sat down. Upon several minutes of reflection, she determined that her reception in the Slytherin Common Room was certain to be bad. Staying out all night instead couldn't be worse. Standing and trying hard not to feel like a coward, Echo grabbed her bag with all of her belongings and went off in search of a broom cupboard.

**A/N: Well, for any of you who decided to read this chapter, thank you! There is really no good excuse for this hugely ridiculous gap between chapters. Please know that I live in Alaska, where the summer is short and comes after 9 months of a lot of darkness. Needless to say I have been outside, working off cabin fever. Review if you like, it definitely encourages me to sit and type more. :) Thanks again! **

**P.S. I have had a few people mention to me that Echo is Mary Sue-like, which concerns me cause I am not intending for that at all...any suggestions?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for those who reviewed and for those who alerted or favorited me!! I hope you like this chapter, I wrote it faster than I have written any of the others. Some parts feel sticky still, but...let me know what you think. : ) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I would be traveling the world and wearing expensive clothes. **

Recap: _Standing and trying hard not to feel like a coward, Echo grabbed her bag with all of her belongings and went off in search of a broom cupboard. _

Echo's second night in Hogwarts was no better than her first. And the same could be said about her third, and fourth. Every evening, after dinner and the students were expected in their dorm rooms, she hid behind a convenient statue or suite of armor until the hallways were clear enough to break for the cupboard. She dodged prefects, ran from Mrs. Norris, and learned, after one particularly unpleasant encounter with the Bloody Baron, not to walk through the ghosts. The never ending nights in the shadows of the cupboard taught her that she was afraid of the dark.

One spell made her particularly grateful for her wand, lumos, but she couldn't maintain it. The light died every few minutes, plunging her into blackness until she could make it work again.

Her mornings weren't any easier. She snuck into the dorm rooms before the sun rose and showered, leaving before anyone woke. The one spell that never failed her was the shrinking one; and she imagined that was because her need of it was so great. The warm black blanket kept the chills at bay in the dead of night and proved to be a wonderful tear absorber whenever she needed it.

Classes proceeded as they had begun. She sat alone and when partners were required she felt rather like the nerd who was always picked last for sports. Echo lacked the concentration for charms class and hated Herbology for no good reason. Transfiguration with Prof. McGonagall continued smoothly and Echo had been pleased to learn that only Hermione's match had surpassed her own on the first day's lesson. History with Professor Binns had been exciting for a few minutes upon first entering the classroom and learning that they would be taught by a ghost. Then he had opened his mouth and now it was her constant struggle to stay awake. Defense against the Dark Arts was fun in theory and absolutely terrible in practice. Prof. Quirrell's classroom reeked which was, Echo tried to convince herself, the reason none of her spells worked.

Friday heralded her first Potions class and her first owl post. Two letters greeted her that morning, one from Hermione and one from her parents. Hermione's letter was short.

_Echo,_

_Thank you for clarifying. I'm sorry for assuming the worst about you. How has your first week of school been?_

_Hermione_

Satisfied that the entire matter with Hermione was now settled, Echo pocketed her parent's thick letter to read after Potions and crept out of the Great Hall. The only way, as Echo had learned, to find the correct classroom was to follow a group of students from the house that Slytherin shared the lesson with, at a safe distance of course. She had tried following Pansy and Daphne to Herbology the day before only to discover the joys of a fat lip when Pansy turned sharply around a corner and tripped her as she hurried to follow. Pansy thanked Echo politely for providing a place to wipe her feet, and stepped on Echo's back, scraping the mud from her shoes onto her robe.

Today, Echo followed two Gryffindor boys at a safe distance as they walked deeper into the dungeons of the castle. She was happy with her stealth when a voice startled her.

"Echo?"

Echo turned around, coming face-to-face with Hermione.

"Hi Hermione." Echo said, and after a pause continued uncomfortably. "I just got your letter. My week has been fine, how about yours?"

That was all the prompting Hermione needed and soon Echo had heard everything from her absolute disgust with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley (although no mention as to the cause besides the words 'irresponsible' and 'pig headed'), to her pleasure in Transfiguration and hopes of winning the Gryffindor House Cup. As they entered the Potion's room Hermione looked questioningly at Echo.

"What happened to your lip?" She asked quietly.

"I fell." She half-lied and then smiled. "I forget to watch where I am going."

"You-" Hermione was interrupted by the bang of a door and the entrance of Professor Snape. Hermione scooted to the front of the room and Echo found a seat at the back, the only empty one, next to Blaise.

As soon as it became clear that Prof. Snape and the rest of the Slytherin students were focused on tormenting Harry Potter and the Gryffindors, Echo's shoulders sagged and she let out a sigh. The actual subject of potions might not be her favorite but the class itself certainly would be.

After listening and taking notes, Prof. Snape set them loose on a potion and Echo and Blaise went to work.

"So, er, how has your first week been?" Blaise asked quietly over the bubbling cauldron.

"Fine, thank you." Echo replied and continued to crush snake fangs.

"We haven't seen you in the common room." He said.

"Oh, been waiting to ambush me?"

His face went red. "No, that's not what I meant."

"Its fine Blaise, you don't have to apologize to me." She tossed the snake fangs into the pot and began to stew the horned slugs. Blaise picked up and weighed the dried nettles, apparently deep in thought. After several minutes he spoke again.

"I am sorry. Both for my behavior and for the behavior of our housemates." He met her gaze steadily. "I'm not the only one who is sorry." His eyes shifted and she followed his stare to the back of a white blonde haired boy who was currently being praised by Prof. Snape for his potion.

Green smoke filled the air accompanied by a hiss, saving Echo from having to form a response. The potion from a Gryffindor's cauldron was seeping across the floor. Echo followed Blaise's example and stood up on her chair. Snape cleaned it up and began a tirade, first against the boy who had been responsible, and then against Harry Potter. When he had finished, the students settled down and Echo and Blaise spent the last hour of class silently completing the potion. As always, when Snape dismissed them, Echo packed up her things exceedingly slowly. Pansy was gone when Echo started for the exit.

She pulled the door partially open to leave when an arm crossed in front of her and shut it again, firmly.

"Wait here a few moments Miss Sarassen." Snape commanded.

She turned to face the classroom again and realized that Draco and Blaise had not left. Snape turned on his heel to glare at them meaningfully.

"What's going on?" She gripped her wand tightly, stuck out her chin, and quaked.

Blaise stared pointedly at Draco who shifted and cleared his throat.

"I-uh-how has your week been?" Draco asked.

"Fine."

Silence fell. Snape coughed once, then twice and then spoke.

"If you take a right outside the entrance to the Slytherin common room you will find a portrait of Salazar Slytherin. That is an entrance into the closet next to the bathrooms. The password if pureblood."

Another pause.

"May I go Professor?" She asked. He nodded. Without looking at either of the two boys, she turned to the door.

"Drakie there you are! I was waiting!" Pansy shoved Echo out of her way and went to him.

Echo read the letter from her parents. They sent her a muggle newspaper and chocolate that wouldn't jump out of her mouth. The letter was everything she expected, filled with encouragement and love.

She spent the rest of the day outside walking around the edge of the Black Lake and peering curiously into the Forbidden Forest while contemplating the secret entrance. If she used it she would certainly worry less. Crossing the common room was treacherous. On the other hand, it could be a trap. Thankfully, she was distracted at that moment by the arrival of Hermione.

They plopped down on the grass and, for several hours, practiced transfiguring. At the same time, Hermione shared everything she knew about wizards (which was a considerable amount). This discourse only required minimal input from Echo, who was content to listen.

Several weeks passed in this manner. Echo slept in the broom cupboard, woke early to shower and eat, attended classes, and spent the rest of the afternoon reading or practicing and studying with Hermione. She didn't try the secret entrance as tempting as it was. Dinner was spent in the kitchens, more often than not with the company of Fred and George, and sometimes even with a few of their friends, Oliver Wood and Katie Bell. She was included in their easy camaraderie, and although she rarely spoke, found happiness by listening to their banter and joining their laughter. Peeves became a nightly visitor and excelled at distracting Filch while Echo ran to or from her broom cupboard. Packages and letters arrived weekly from home and she gladly received them. A new necklace, a stuffed animal, and many other items became excellent practice for her and Hermione to transfigure.

Moments of torment had been few and far between, and whether this was because she had been forgotten or because something even more dreadful was coming, Echo didn't care to speculate. Overall, life at Hogwarts was settling into a routine.

The Halloween Feast sounded almost good enough to make Echo go to dinner. Almost. Next year, when she had finally mastered a way to defend herself, she would go. So instead Echo sat in the kitchens, eating delicious food alone, and when she was finished she wandered down to the dungeons. She wound her way around, past paintings and suits of armor, until she found herself facing the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. His cold mien reminded her of Prof. Snape.

Echo wanted to go into the dorms while everyone was at the feast. She wanted to use this portrait to discover the truth about the supposed secret entrance. And she wanted to use it now because if no one was inside, it couldn't be a trap.

Straightening her spine, Echo approached the portrait and forced her voice to remain steady when she spoke the password. Salazar lifted an eyebrow and swung open. With more courage than she felt, she walked into the back of the dark closet and reached for the door.

The portrait behind her slammed shut and the instant her hand touched the door knob a sticky sensation washed over her fingers. The knob wouldn't turn, and the door wouldn't open. Disappointed, Echo moved to leave. Her hand wouldn't let go of the door. Turning back, eyes wide, she brought out her wand and lit it.

A thick, green gel covered her hand and the door knob. Struggling to free herself, Echo grabbed at the green gel with her other hand. For a moment the ooze receded, allowing Echo to hope, and then it surged forward, engulfing both her hands and her wand.

She tugged and pulled until her arms and hands were sore and chafing. The light in her wand extinguished and Echo sank to the floor on her knees. Something furry scuttled across her calves and she screamed and kicked. Neither a single beam of light came through the door nor a single noise.

It took thirty minutes for her arms and hands to go numb. Not long after, panic set in. The cold dark crept in around her and she couldn't even open her bag to retrieve the blanket. Squeaks and the scurry of rodent feet over her legs became more frequent. A tiny, annoying voice in her head insisted on telling her that if she wasn't found, she would starve and be eaten alive by rats. She refused to hear the other voice, the one that said it would be worse to be found.

Two hours later, tears dripped down her cheeks. Blood covered her knees in vein-like lines, brought out when she scraped the stone floor in multiple attempts to find comfort. The door knob to which her hands were attached was too high for her to sit cross legged. A deep ache filled her shoulders and her voice was hoarse from periodically yelling. Her back creaked when she shifted.

A well of despair rose up inside Echo. She screamed, flailed, pulled and twisted wildly, fighting her helplessness to no avail. Sobs wracked her chest.

The door jerked open violently, dragging Echo with it, scraping skin off her legs. She blinked, unaccustomed to the light, and tried to see her rescuer. Black shapes stood around her. Students.

"I'm stuck." Echo croaked, her mouth dry. Shrill laughter filled her ears. One of the black shapes moved closer and bent down.

"I know." Pansy smiled. "It's about time."

**A/N: So, now is your time. Liked it? Hated it? Review s'il tu plait. **

**Also, I think I should give everyone a heads up, I am leaving for Turkey this Friday so I won't be updating again until I get back, around the end of August. Thanks again for reading, and for reviewing, it makes me happy**.

**P.S. Sorry if the spacing on this chapter, or any chapter, bothers you, i have been having a hard time getting the website to do what I want with the paragraph breaks etc. **


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